It is rumored that Village Council members have elected not to schedule a public information session about the Village’s COAH submission. Instead, residents may use the website to submit questions and comments about the plan. It appears that Blias L. Brancheau, the Village’s Planner, will be responsible for responding to all questions and comments.

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Thanks to Deputy Mayor Keith D. Killion, Village Council members WILL now hold an informational meeting about the Village’s COAH housing plan.

Tonight, Killion expressed his disappointment that the proposed “website only” information plan had not been cleared with the entire Council before being implemented. It was revealed that the “website only” information plan was drafted by Mayor David T. Pfund, Councilwoman Anne Zusy, and Village Manager James Ten Hoeve.

The Deputy Mayor also voiced his concern that residents without access to computers, or those who did not feel comfortable asking questions via computer, would be “boxed out” of the ability to receive information about such an important topic.

Furthermore, Killion cited his personal preference to see people face to face in order to better observe any emotion being expressed regarding the topic.

The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, January 28th beginning at 7:30 PM in the Courtroom at Village Hall.

Based on the negative comments on this blog regarding this issue, I expected many residents to show up at last night’s Planning Board meeting and make comments “face to face”. Nobody showed up. It appears that the bloggers prefer the “website only” approach.

Yea, on one hand the village sets up a site to “inform” but then its defenders object to this blog as a way for citizens to “inform” our village government about what they think.

And besides do you think that addressing a group of people such as the Planning Board, responsible to politicians and not the voters, give a hoot about what any of us have to say to them in an empty room.

No, this blog is much more powerful. Citizens can read about what is happening on their own time and then comment.

It seems to me this since the launch of this blog, all village government entities have come under more scrutiny by the citizens of Ridgewood.